6 Celebrities on What It's Really Like to Live With MS

Puteshestvie

August 10, 2017

Multiple sclerosis, or MS, occurs when the immune system attacks the coating of the nerve cells, called myelin. MS patients can experience a range of different symptoms as a result, including severe fatigue, numbness and tingling throughout the body, vision problems, weakness, and difficulty with balance. While patients are commonly diagnosed between age 20 and 50, MS can strike at any age—and it tends to affect women more often than men.

Dealing with any type of medical condition can be painful and isolating. Not only are there physical challenges, but it can also feel like no one understands your struggle. Even worse, you may feel bad speaking out about it because you don’t want to drag others down, or be a hassle to them (read: you won’t and you aren’t!).

Knowing that others are experiencing hard times just like you are can feel reassuring, which is why we created this video that spotlights six celebrities with MS who have spoken out about their experiences living with the disease.

Watch the video to hear stars like Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Jack Osbourne, and Montel Williams get real about what it’s like to have MS. Each celeb has a unique take on the realities of living with the disease.

Sigler, for example, urges her peers to be kind to themselves and to ask for help when they need it. She says she went to doctor’s appointments on her own for six years—and it took a toll. Teri Garr writes in her memoir that getting her diagnosis was reassuring in a way, since she was finally given an answer after she had felt off for 20 years.

Whether or not you or a loved one has MS, these inspiring words from celebs with the disease are sure to lift you up, and remind you about the important things in life.